What's your motivation for all of this perspiration?!!!

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markstuartbell
markstuartbell

A good friend of mine is about to start a long distance tour and we have been discussing what inspires people to take on these kinds of big challenges and adventures. I did my own tour a few years ago from England to Spain, but I'd really love to hear the wisdom and advice from all you guys and girls in the forum!!

1) What motivates you more, a desire to explore or to escape?!

2) How has the simplicity of touring - a bike, a tent and some food for fuel - made you feel about material possetions and the stresses of life when you return home? How did you deal with post tour blues?

3) Did you ever have an epiphany when you realised that you could transport yourself all over the country or the world on your bike?! If so, what was that like??

4) Did your trip meet your expectations, or even exceed them?

I really look forward to hearing what everyone else has to say about this!!!

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choudoufu
choudoufu

epiphany.....blah, blah, blah.......stop over-analyzing things.

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

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markstuartbell
markstuartbell

Did you never get that?!

I remember so clearly the day when my bike stopped being something I could ride over to a friend's house on, or to the supermarket, and became this great little machine that could take me 25, then 30 then 50 then 60+miles!! And I could strap everything I needed to the back - food, accomodation and clothes!

I never learned to drive and this was the sort of freedom that people usually tal about when they first pass their test :)

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kennyfarmer
kennyfarmer

I can see by your 4 questions you experienced the same feelings I had. I find it gives me a better experience of what the country is like and how the people live. My first long trip exceeded my expectations and now I cannot find the time to do this adventure traveling. I will be doing a trip in Malawi in January 2014. If you want to follow my blog it is www.longdaysafaris.wordpress.com

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iviehoff
iviehoff

what inspires people to take on these kinds of big challenges

I don't think of going on a long cycling tour as a challenge, I think of it as fun. Of course it can be challenging, like cycling in Siberia in mid-winter, or on the Greenland sea-ice, or taking your bicycle up Mt Everest, or trying to do something very fast so you don't have time to see the view, but these are rare. People who present it as a challenge are mostly just trying to separate you from your money.

Your Q2 has something to it though.

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